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The Spire
The Spire Koningstad is a tall, under construction office tower being built in Koningstad's Business District. Designed by Andres Pineda of Gensler, it is one of the most modern buildings in Brunant. Upon its completion it will have a total height of 223 meters, making it the tallest building and structure in Brunant and the 13th tallest building in the European Union. Due to the cost of this tower, various owners and investors have a stake in the building, including the Mounir familyThey are also owners of Dortmund SFC and part-owners of Maxi Group. Planning The Spire's design was planned since the late 1990s, when architect Andres Pineda designed a buulding inspired by spire designs. At the time it was near-impossible to construct such a building, due to the difficult design and massive costs. Eventually there was an opportunity for redevelopment in Brunant and architecture firm Gensler and engineers werte brought in to study the feasibility of the project in 2004. The design was changed at the moment, elininating the ounded, tapering top, as the city and government had some height restriction issues. Planning began that year and by August the city had allowed construction permits, despite the opposition of some citizens and especially owners of nearby towers. Detailed plans on the tower followed as the site at 5 Van Horne was studied, the location of a six-story office building. Investors, including the Mounir family, other Brunanter firms and primarily a couple of Thai investors got on board the project, allowing for the purchase of the lot in late 2005, after the relocation of all tenants. The building was demolished in April 2006 and work on clearing the lot occurred for several months after. Pending final government permits and inspections, work was rather minimal for several months. Eventually the constructors and architects were cleared to go ahead and the initial groundbreaking was set for March 2007. Construction Early work Groundbreaking ceremonies began in March 2007 and work on the foundations began quickly. In late 2007 the windfall from the global recession left some investors unable to invest more in the building and it was believed work might be put on hold, or the project cancelled altogether. While work went on in January 2008 construction was halted as several Brunanter investors were backing out. Financial issues For several months the just-started tower (an eyesore, as some called it) just stood there and there was even significant support for it's demolition.The owners of SD Bank Building and Janowicz Place were most interested in this. But, by the end of the year there was yet again renewed interest in the project. British firm CLS Holdings plc went in with a €10 million investment and the El-Mounir family extended their ownership shares to a total investment of €55 million. With the Thai investors still in for €40 million and the entry of a Saudi investment group for €60 million (taking over the rest of the Brunanter shares), there were significant funds and interest to ensure the project continued. Recent work As work slowly resumed in April 2009, the government invested a further €3 million to the project, as well as expressing interest in having offices. The building core slowly rose by a few meters each day, and work on the lower floors began in February 2010. But in August several construction issues were found, which put the building at collapsing with further added weight. Three months were dedicating to removing several meters of the building core and replacing and reinforcing the material. Work was on track for 2011 and 2012, progressing faster than expected. In August 2011 it overtook the nearby SD Bank Building in height and in November it rose over Janowicz Place, at 146 meters, officially making it the tallest building in the country. In March 2012, the core was finally topped out, at 222.2 meters, and several investors were invited to have a lunch on top to celebrate. Then work was dedicated full-time to constructing the floors. By Christmas 2012, 40 were completed and some 25 had been encased in glass windows. Work continued quickly and in February 2013 the final floors were added, with the building and the top fully coveredin the glass walls. Interior work, which has slowly began in November 2012 was worked on full-time in the spring. Finishing touches and furnishings are expected to be completed by September, after which the tenants are expected to start moving in. An official inauguration ceremony will be held in October 2013. Completion The building is expected to be completed and habitable by September 2013, but final furnishings and fittings may take until the year's end. Several businesses have already expressed interest in being tenants here, with the governemnt's Department of Finance and Vodafone Brunant already set to occupy offices here. Being such a modern and luxurious building, it is believed that The Spire will have among the highest rent fees in Brunant, which may likely leave office spaces unoccupied for some time. The tower was the target of several BASE jumpers, which were apprehended inside in May 2013. In July 2013, French urban climber Alain Robert was invited to climb the building, which he did so in around 2 hours, 4 minutes. Layout and usage The Spire will be mostly dedicated to offices, with floors 1 through 32 serving that purpose. Floors 33 to 43 will be upscale residential apartments, presently being completed. The 44th floor willo feature a restaurant and the 45th an observatory with a 360 degree view of the city, accessible to the public for a fee of €6. Finally the top of the tower will have a dedicated mechanical floor. Notes and references Category:Building Category:Koningstad Category:Business District